May 02, 2016

Chaos in Baghdad as fight against Islamic State continues

The New York Times reports hundreds of protesters stormed Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone on Saturday and entered the Parliament building, demanding an end to corruption. A day later, they began to leave. What brought on this chaos, and why did it end so quickly? Images of Iraqis storming Parliament over the weekend made it seem as though a popular revolution were at hand. In reality, it was something else: partly a legitimate expression of popular anger, but partly political theater. The episode had to be somewhat condoned by the authorities, given the ease with which the protesters were able to pass through the fortresslike security.